A hunting blind is a structure that a person can hide in or behind to mask his or her movements from wild game, yet be able to observe and/or fire upon the game through shooting or observation ports. Stationary blinds usually are either constructed from or covered with natural materials, like branches or reeds, to blend into the surrounding environment, or are covered with a camouflage material in a pattern and coloration to blend into a particular background environment such as various woodlands, prairie, brush, swamp or desert. Portable blinds are generally constructed of some type of light-weight frame that supports a fabric or mesh screen in a camouflage pattern.
Since archery hunting requires relatively close approach of game into shooting range, there has been a development of various portable blinds that attach to and are carried with the bow itself. Representative examples of such blinds are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,817,579 and 4,974,575, and in 4,876,817 and 5,127,180. The later two patents disclose blinds in which the frame can be which collapsed from an extended position to a collapsed position for carrying.
One objective of this invention is to provide a portable blind that has an improved carrying configuration while attached to an archery bow . It would be advantageous to have a blind that collapses and folds out of the way of the arrow rest and bow sights during carrying, so that the hunter can easily draw, aim, and release while stalking and can quickly nock another arrow if presented the opportunity for a follow-up shot. For similar reasons, it would be an advantage to have the collapsed blind folded out of the way of a bow-mounted quiver. It would also be an advantage to have the weight of the collapsed and folded blind generally aligned with the vertical axis of the bow and transferred to the bow at a front stabilizer accessory hole to enable the archer to balance the bow and reduce torque and vibration at release. The present invention attempts to achieve these advantages by features described herein which enable the improved carry configuration.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a collapsible portable blind that can be easily adapted for attachment to an archery bow, rifle or shotgun, camera or camera tripod, tree stand, all-terrain vehicle or other hunting device. Other advantages of the invention may become apparent upon reading the detailed description of the invention which follows.